My thoughts on books and anything else that comes to mind!

Description: For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones …about a love that transcends the boundaries of time …and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his ….
Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart …in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising …and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves….

I Give This Book 5 Stars!

I was completely floored by Outlander. It was a story like I’ve never read before. When I picked the book to read as part of a challenge last year, I did not know that it was part of a series. I knew when I was finished that I wanted to read them all. I wish I had sat down and read Dragonfly in Amber in one sitting. Instead I drew it out over a couple months, reading here and there. So, in that sense it’s my fault that I sometimes got confused over who was who. Because lets face it, there’s a lot of people and even more information presented in this book. But, its wonderful. I feel like I’ve been taken on a history lesson that is much more personal than any book or teacher could ever have shown me. Claire and Jamie are beginning to work their way into the favorite characters (and couple) category. They invoke a powerful mental picture. I love their relationship and to what grounds they will go to portray (notice I don’t use the word prove) their love for one another. The events that happen in this story are also of high emotion and intensity. Diana Gabaldon has written a masterpiece. I can not wait to see were she takes Claire and Jamie next!

Description: Meet Lucy Valentine; sassy, fabulously original…and psychic.
Lucy hails from a long line of matchmakers known as Valentine INC. According to family legend, the Valentines have been blessed by Cupid with the ability to help couples find true love. Trouble is Lucy’s powers were zapped away by an electrical surge and now all she can find are lost objects.
But what good is that in the matchmaking world?
Lucy is about to find out when she tries to solve a murder and winds up falling into a romance of her own.

I Give This Book 4 Stars!

This book caught my interest from the moment I saw it. I was glad to have won a copy. It completed exceeded my expectations. I was afraid that the psychic accept of this story would be a tad bit corny in combination with the romantic elements. But, it worked better than I imagined. Lucy was a fiery lead character. In one book she manged to draw me in and I look forward to reading the future books in this series. The mystery elements balanced out the romance perfectly. It even surprised me and wasn’t predictable. The secondary characters added to the story and were developed enough to be a great supporting cast for future books. Overall, a great read and looking forward to more of this series and more from Heather Webber!

Description: Darcy Gallagher has always believed in the pull of fate, the magic of legend…and the importance of money. She longs to find a rich man who will sweep her away — into a world filled with glamour and adventure, and the exotic life that is her destiny…
A wealthy businessman with Irish blood, Trevor Magee has come to Ardmore to build a theater — and uncover the secrets hidden in his family’s past. He thought he had given up on love long ago, but Darcy Gallagher tempts him like no woman ever has. She’s gorgeous, intelligent, and she knows what she wants — and he’s more than willing to give it to her. But as their mutual attraction flares into passion, they look into their hearts — and find out what happens when you truly believe…

While it wasn’t a bad way to wrap up the series, I just didn’t like this one as much. I would have liked to seen more of Darcy’s softer side. It’s there, but it seems the story focuses on how shallow and selfish Darcy can be. I liked Trevor (who wouldn’t like a handsome rich man who comes and sweeps you off your feet!) But, I didn’t feel their romance was as believable as the ones in the first two stories. I also wish there was more focus on Carrick and Lady Gwen when the spell was broken. The legend is so woven into the story and then all you get at the end is their riding away on a winged horse.

Description: Pretty tomboy Brenna O’Toole and absentminded Shawn Gallagher have known each other all their lives, and since she was a teenager, Brenna has secretly burned for Shawn. To her dismay, the musically inclined dreamer has never shown and equal interest in her.
But now, she’s ready to make him take notice. Under the guise of helping him with his musical compositions, she further insinuates herself into his life – and maybe his heart – with a little help from Carrick, the faerie prince.
Shawn is resistant to the change in his relationship with Brenna. He likes his life just the way it is. He has no desire to marry or to test the waters of a career in composing, but Brenna pushes and the mystical Carrick prods, he finds he must reevaluate his choices in life.

I liked this one a little more than the first. Brenna is an interesting lead female because she isn’t your typical female. It made for an interesting romance. I also liked the changes the Gallagher family goes through in this one. While there is a continuation from the first book, it picks up a couple months after the ending. It ends basically the same way as the first. You want the next story, but you’re not left hanging.

Description: With her life in turmoil after a failed marriage and growing disappointment over her career, Jude Murray sets off on a journey to Ireland. To her grandmother’s cottage on a faerie hill in Ardmore. There she hopes she will be able to find herself again.
But the mystic charm of Ardmore grows on Jude – as does the handsome and kind pub owner, Aidan Gallagher. She soon finds herself caught up in the charm and fantasy of the land and people around her, challenging her beliefs and all that she thought she wanted out of life.

I don’t read romance that often. It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just that I usually enjoy other books more. I love the series “In Death” published under J.D. Robb, so every once in a while, I’ll pick up a Nora Roberts book. I always enjoy them, I just don’t usually seek them out. This was no exception. It was a really good for a romance book. I loved the Irish parts of it. Now some people I’m sure hate the Irish cliches, but in a book like this I think it’s wonderful. I love the setting, the folklore, and the people. And the romance part wasn’t to over the top for me. It’s part of a series, but I think it works as a stand alone book as well. While the main characters in #1 are still in #2, they are no longer the focus. And I assume the same for #3.